A Tribute to the Canine Heroes of 9/11

Today marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11. It's hard to believe that the day all of our lives were forever changed is a decade old. Newborns are now entering middle school. Five-year-olds are now high school students, and high school students are now college graduates, many with careers and families of their own. While time has certainly marched on, that fateful day will never be forgotten. For the families who lost loved ones, for the rescue workers, volunteers, and canines with their handlers who all responded to the calls for help...this blog is dedicated to you. Thank you for your endurance and dedication. We will never forget.

Deservingly so, there will be a ceremony today honoring these K9 heroes, many who have since crossed the Rainbow Bridge, while those who are elderly and now retired from duty, will be in attendance at the tribute held across the river from lower Manhattan, organized by the non-profit Tails of Hope Foundation. Many appreciative woos and thank yous go out to these brave canines.

 

For more information on honoring the Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs, check out the Finding One Another: Courage Beyond Measure  and the Search Dog Foundation websites.

Also check out an article in on the SARs published in The Scoop: Dogs in the News just four days after the 2001 attack, Environmental Graffiti Magazine's photos of the SARs, including FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue teams, and the AKC's DogNY tribute to SARs.

The Connecticut Police Work Dog Association has a page of amazing K9 memorials, including this life-size sculpture of a German Sheperd moving down an eight-foot I-beam with vest and booties going toward a crushed New York City firefighter's helmet. The sculpture, according to the CPWDA, consists of recovered materials from Ground Zero and is part of a 9/11 Memorial Garden at SUNY Farmingdale in New York.

 A book that is part of my personal collection is the hauntingly beautiful book Dog Heroes of September 11th; A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs by Nona Kilgore Bauer. Click here for a photo slideshow of these heroic canines. This book pays tribute to the heroic canines and their dedication, determination, and hard work during that tragic period of time. According to the publisher’s statement on the book jacket, “Kennel Club Books supports the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (NDSDF) in its mission to produce certified search and rescue teams to protect our whole nation. A portion of the proceeds of Dog Heroes of September 11th will benefit the NDSDF.” 

 "If these dogs only knew what a difference they make. Certainly, there's nothing that can replace 

the precision of a dog's nose—and absolutely 

nothing that can replace a dog's heart."  

— Bob Sessions, rescue worker, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

We will never forget.